WA health sector alarmed by proposed new liquor laws

Camera IconPremier Mark McGowan previewed some of the State Government’s proposed changes to the Liquor Control Act which he said were designed to make Perth a “hipster”.Picture: Ian Munro

Tourism and economic considerations should not have equal weighting with concerns about alcohol-related harm when weighing up liquor licensing applications, WA’s health sector warned yesterday.

Premier Mark McGowan previewed some of the State Government’s proposed changes to the Liquor Control Act which he said were designed to make Perth a “hipster” capital on par with Melbourne.

Among the proposed changes were including “tourism, community and cultural benefits” in licence application criteria and giving submissions by the Tourism WA chief executive equal weight with the Chief Health Officer and Police Commissioner when the Liquor Commission makes determinations.

Mr McGowan, who spearheaded the relaxation of WA’s hospitality regulations in 2006, paving the way for 118 small bars in Perth today, said other chan-ges would include scrapping the special permit that licensed restaurants with a capacity of fewer than 120 people needed to serve alcohol to non-diners.

Venues operating under a small bar or tavern licence would also be permitted to allow patrons to take home unfinished portions of a bottle of wine.

Mr McGowan said the liquor reforms, which he described as the most significant in a decade, would usher in a “more European, sophisticated, discerning” drinking culture.

The proposed reforms won the support of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Tourism Council chief executive Evan Hall, who said WA venues had for too long “been forced to provide bad customer service”.

National Drug Research Centre professor Steve Allsop said health should be the primary issue in licence applications.

“Alcohol is not an ordinary product and that is why we have liquor licensing laws,” he said. “I would go so far as to say there is no other reason for liquor licensing laws other than the public health considerations.

“There is a myth regarding drinking in southern Europe and in fact many of these countries have extremely high levels of alcohol related problems.”

Australian Medical Association WA president Omar Khorshid said it was appropriate to take a broad view of licence applications “but it is really important that legitimate concerns by health authorities or police are not diluted by a purely economic focus”.

Opposition Leader Mike Nahan supported the reforms but said they were “incomplete” without longer trading hours.

He said it was “embarrassing” that fans at last weekend’s UFC fight at Perth Arena could buy full-strength alcohol at 6.30am but “not a bottle of milk” at the same time in the CBD.